The Hunt
by FadedNobody
Summary: "Demyx? Where's mother?" A whimper from the corner of the room, "Sora, you have to understand. Mom and Dad are gone. They left us, and they're not coming back." Rated M for Violence, Blood, and Other stuffs. DISCONTINUEDDISCONTINUEDDISCONTINUEDDISCONTINUEDDI SCONTINUEDDISCONTINUEDDISCONTINUEDDISCONTINUEDDISC ONTINUED
1. Scream

It had been twelve years since The Hunt, the world had thought we were gone; extinct.

They chased us out of our homes, burned the forests we lived in, the houses we'd bought as we tried to blend in. Our kind had always been hunted for our skins, so we'd be sold out by our own family, by our closest and most trusted friends. For money or their own life, even that didn't last long. And so we were…

Moving, always moving…

Running, running, until there was no place left for us to go.

Trapped… Killed.

But we weren't, we knew we could survive.

There was a way, safety in numbers, yes; but not stealth. So we decided on it, or rather, our mother did.

Yes, granted it was painful, we split up. And we never expected to see him again.

And so our mother was gone, the last leader of our family, off into the forest.

Forever.

-  
>"Oh God."<p>

A dirty blonde teen was on his knees, large blue eyes watery with despair and sadness. "Why?" he sobbed, "How are humans so violent, sick, cruel twisted beings that they could do something like this to mother?"

A brunette boy, much younger than the dirty blonde, kneeled as well, only closer to the stuffed creature before them. A large wolf, glass eyes not belonging, nor the terribly angry expression his face wore, not even his smell was easily recognizable under the chemicals used to preserve his body.

Lips drawn back into an angry snarl, dangerously sharp teeth bared, tongue curled, safe away from his teeth. His hackles were raised all along his back, brows furrowed; ears laid back in a threatening manner.

The brunette stood slightly, rubbing his nose against the shiny black one on his mothers lowered head.

"Hello momma." Blue eyes sparkled sadly, "I… I wish I could have been old enough to talk to you and get to know you. We all really miss you, a lot. Especially Demyx, I don't know how he was able to carry on and take care of me an' Roxas." He paused and stroked the brown-yellow fur, "You're so pretty, a shame they made you look so angry, Demy said you were always so calm and kind, and happy."

Demyx stood, scrubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand. Walking over he hugged his mother around her neck. Muttering softly into his ear, "Love you mommy." He touched noses with his mother then backed away.

Roxas nuzzled his face into the blonde fur that was so much like his own. Cuddling against his stiff and frozen figure.

Demyx gathered his two younger siblings and ushered them away from the stand, he turned his head back to the blonde wolf. "Good bye, Cloud. If dad is with you up there, tell him we miss him."

And with that the trio walked away from the stuffed wolf. The metal plate on it was a brightly polished golden color, the mahogany stand recently cleaned as well. It read, Male Northern Midgar Werewolf, 300 pounds, Six feet, seven and one half inches tall. Human Identity: Cloud Strife.

-  
>It was dark outside; the pine trees were black silhouettes against the night sky backdrop. The constellations glittered in the darkness above. Black storm clouds gathered on the horizon, being pushed ever so slowly and steadily across the night sky. There was a rustling of leaves below them as the wind blew through the dark trees. The forest was otherwise silent, excluding the occasional quiet whispers between the three men traversing the trails through the wood.<p>

A light flashed around, highlighting the black trees, bushes and shrubbery around them.

"C'mon Axel! There's nothing out here!"

"Yes, and I can't believe you were able to drag me into this."

"Oh shut up you two, I told you, you could just turn around and head on home." Acid green eyes glinted in the light from the flashlight.

"And what just leave you to get killed?"

Axel turned around and faced the two following him, illuminating a short teen with slate hair, and a white haired teen with green blue eyes.

"Well you heard the story!" the red head snapped at them, "I want to find them!"

"At one in the morning?" the slate haired teen said in his monotone voice, an expression of disbelief covering his face.

"Shut up Zexion! I needed you to help me find them, 'cause you know stuff about wolves and werewolves and stuff."

"Then why am I here?"

"Do you not remember all the crazy shit that happens to you? Riku! If any one has a chance of something weird happening to them, its you."

"Just live with it Riku, I'm here for my know-how. I have to actually do something." His monotone voice was annoyed and tired. The fringe of hair covering his right eye turned silver in the sudden shock of moonlight.

"Yeah so c'mon! Zexy, tell us where they might be?" Axel faced the emo with excitement on his face.

He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a

'Ahwoooo!'

they jumped. The noise was close, maybe thirty feet away.

'Arh!'

The snarls were getting closer, another howl sounded, the thundering of feet headed in their direction. The three were paralyzed.

"FUCK! We weren't supposed to actually find anything!" axel all but wailed. Axel and Riku both turned to Zexion, who was no longer there. They panicked even more.

"Quick! Up here!" Zexion called from high up in a tree. The two rushed over and clambered up, twigs and branches breaking, creaking and snapping. The tree groaned slightly as it took on the weight of the trio until they were a safe distance from the ground.

Silence reigned, the only noise was from the high winds, blowing the dark clouds over the sky.

"Do you think they're gone?" Riku asked, a little too hopefully. Looking to the shortest member of the group, who was highest up in the tree, just below a bald spot in the branches

"No." Zexion warned.

And he was right, a gun shot went off somewhere nearby, followed by a pained yelp. Seconds later three lupine figures ran out of the brush, the biggest one limping as a shiny liquid slid down its leg. The two smaller ones huddled at the base of the tree they were in.

"U-up the t-tree." The wounded one said, groaning in pain, standing on shaky legs. The two immediately leapt into the tree and sat on a thick branch, waiting. Barely a foot and a half below Axel.

"Aren't you coming up?" an innocent voice asked.

"I can't. Not with this leg. I'm sorry you two."

Axel's eyes widened at that, but stayed silent.

"B-But-"

There was the sound of yelping dogs in the distance, followed quickly by the barks of recognition. They found the trail.

"Stay up there!" the large wolf growled, "I'll lead them off!"

The large wolf then galloped away, leaving the two smaller werewolves huddled up in the tree. Whimpering sounds drifted up the tree as the trio dared not to move, or even breathe.

Zexion recounted the dangers of wild young werewolves. Their documentations were mostly false, and had few true cases; but the tall tales of werewolves barely his own age leveling cities and towns. Murdering on the night of the full moon. Massacring the villages around where they lived. He shivered invoulantarily, though it could be blamed on the cold winds from the north thet were blowing in just now.

Winter was setting in during the next week and a half, tonight it was meant to snow.

The barking dogs entered the clearing, busting through the leafless brush, rattling their branches like an ominous wind chime. Their paws left prints in the patches of falling snow, as they snuffled the area. One paused at the base of the tree the five sat in. But it bolted away, when another dog barked and set after the bloody trail the larger wolf made.

It was silent after the dogs left. The clouds covered the sky, turning it darker that black. The only spot uncovered was the spot around the moon, curling and swirling ominously around the white orb in the sky.

"Do you think it's safe?" one whispered to the other.

"No."

"What about the moon?"

"He's smart, he should scare them off before its covered.

"Yeah, but what if-"

The sounds of fighting started, snarls and yelps, growls and whines, then it was once again,

silent

A loud crashing sound erupted from where the dogs and the werewolf had gone, like a tree being felled; followed by a canine scream. One dog came sprinting for its life, tail between its legs, well, leg. Its wounds illuminated by the last rays of the moon. Large teeth marks decorated its back, and large chunks of fur, skin and flesh were missing from various parts of its body. It yelped as it ran. And those hidden in the tree, were sure it was the only survivor.

The last few beams of light were swallowed up, covering the area in inky darkness.

The Scream continued.

* * *

><p>If any one could bother to review and tell me where you would like this story to go please say so. This will be other wise left be, unless I get a good idea for the next chapter.<p> 


	2. Monster

_The Hunt_

_By FadedNobody_

_Property Of Square Enix_

The sky was still dark, the moon settling down near the horizon, the stars fading slowly as the skys' frame tilted showing the brightening sky in the distance. Clouds collecting on the skyline, coloring a light pink as the light spread further from the yellowing horizon.

Shadows stretched behind the buildings of Twilight Town, across the plaza and streets. Curtains were closed, not letting any of the light seep into the dark room. Letting the bedraggled red headed teen continue to sleep, until

_I feel it deep within_

_It's just beneath the skin_

_I must confess that I feel like a monster!_

A pale hand shot out from beneath the covers, groping around for the phone that should have been on the desk. Finding it missing from the wooden surface

_I hate what I've become,_

_The darkness just begun!_

_I must confess that I feel like a monst-_

"Aha! Here it is. How did it get down here?" Axel grumbled, pressing the off button for his phones alarm. Moaning he fell back down on to the mattress, snuggling up to his fluffy red body pillow, with every intention of falling back asleep. Staying awake was just too difficult right now.

_**Slam!**_

"Axel!"

An all too familiar voice screamed gaily in his face. Groaning again he shoved his head under his pillow, trying once again but less successfully to gain a few more minutes of sleep.

"Axie! C'mon ax let's get up an runnin, yo!"

"Why?" Axel moaned pitifully from underneath his pillow.

"'Cause ya gots ta go to you're Twili High shool."

Sitting up Axel turned to his brother, a pink tint to his cheeks and the odd crescent moon shaped markings under his bright green eyes, somewhat similar to axels triangle tattoos under his own acid green eyes. Though Reno's' eyes seemed a bit dulled and watery under the influence of the alcohol, probably some scotch, from the smell of it. And the bottle.

"Reno, c'mon, you gotta stop doing this to yourself." Axel sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Getting up out of his bed he shoved the blankets to the foot of hid bed. Grabbing his older brothers arm and pulling him towards their Jack-N-Jill bathroom, turning the levers of the bath and letting the water heat and fill the white tub.

"But Axie~!"

"Reno." He sighed in exasperation, "Just get sobered up okay? I need to get to school and you need to stop doing this and get a new job."

"Doin whaa?" Reno cocked his head to the side cutely, eyes big and innocent. He always got like this when he was drunk; innocent and clingy.

"Doing this!" He gestured wildly almost knocking Reno over, Reno lost balance and stumbled to the ground, "and ruining yourself over someone you'll never see again! I can't even begin to under stand your thinking. Or how this was the best idea you could come up with." Axel snapped at him.

"Da bess ider?" Reno blinked up at him, eyes wide and his speech level falling further.

Axel sighed, grounding his temper and running his slim fingers through his hair. He hated doing this; he knew it would be the only way the stubborn ass red head would get sobered up. But it would break his heart a little more to see his older brother so happy over something, some one, who would never return.

"C'mon, Reno, Do ya want your Rufie to find you so mussed up, you know how he gets when you vomit on yourself."

Recognition lit in his dull green eyes, his mouth making an 'o' immediately he began taking his alcohol stained clothes and dumping them in a pile at his feet. Axel quickly scribbled on a post it and stuck it on the tile wall above the bath. Shutting off the water he left the room, to change for school.

"Hey Ax."

Axel ignored the question behind that welcome, and rolled his head to the side, facing away from the silver haired teen. Damn, Zexion was on the other side.

"So Axel, need I ask?" Zexion spoke evenly, not lifting his eyes from his Biology textbook.

Axel groaned, "Ugh, okay so maybe last night's idea wasn't the best one I've had so far."

"Yeah, so did you see the notice they posted this morning?" the emo asked boredly, turning a page in his endless book.

"Whaa?" Axel unburied his face from his arms and turned to Zexion, "What notice?"

"Oh come on Zexy, don't give him any more ideas. He comes up with enough dumb adventures on his own." Riku said, a tired look on his face, his chin resting on his palm as he leaned on his desk. He glared at Zexion, telling him with a look to _not_ say anything about the notice the Hunters had posted.

"Eh, well if you hadn't noticed it, then I suppose that it just wasn't that important to you." Zexion decided to listen to Rikus' whim and ended the topic of the notice.

"No wait you gotta tell me!" Axel whined, almost on his knees next to Zexions desk, his eyes wide and watering pitifully.

"Tell you what Axel?" A deep, loud and commanding voice commanded, startling the three, or well, one since Zexion and Riku were so emotionless that they simply turned to face the front of the class with blank looks.

"Huh uh…what? I-I mean no! Nothing!" he waved his hands innocently, like a shield in front of himself.

"Hmm I would like to speak to you after class Axel." Ice blue eyes glared at the red head from under long blonde bangs.

"Alright professor."

The blonde in charge gave him one last look, the whirled back to the board with a huff. Axel tried to pay attention to what Prof Vexen was talking about, but he couldn't seem to register any of it.

'_I'll just need to get the notes from Riku and Zexy.'_

The bell seemed to ring too soon for Axel, and was still sitting at his desk, the other students having left already. Vexen was at his desk, stacking and organizing the paper from the lab they had finished earlier.

Giving the papers a once over he nodded his approval to himself of his work, turning he opened a file cabinet in his desk and slid the stack into a file, shut it and stood. He turned to erase the board.

"Axel. I do know what you were doing last night." He spoke as he cleaned the blue and red expo marker from the whiteboard.

Axel stared shocked at the back of Vexens head.

"What? How do you know what I did?"

"That doesn't matter," Vexen turned around and stalked over to Axels desk, "what does matter is that you came too close to them and you cannot do it again! Or you will enter a world you never had seen."

"What? What the hell are you talking about?"

Vexen opened his mouth to continue, but stopped short when a bark from his door and some scratching distracted him.

"Nothing, Excuse me." The scientist turned and walked to the class door, opening it to see a woman?-no man. With pink hair and grass green eyes, his skin was lightly tanned and he was wearing a white shirt and plain faded blue jeans.

"Hey Vexy!" he leaned over and wrapped a long lanky arm around his shoulders. A content grin spreading across his face.

There was something odd about this man, and the red head couldn't put his finger on it.

"Vexy, who's this?" green eyes turned to his. The pink haired mans nostrils flared slightly.

"You know him, from last night remember Marly?"

"Yeah," 'Marly' muttered nuzzling Vexens cheek before waltzing over to the utterly confused Axel.

"Whaa? Who are you?"

A sharp toothed grin spread across Marlys face, "I am Marluxia, but might I ask, what exactly were you doing out in my forest last night? You could have been shot."

"Yeah we-I heard the shots. Was that you out there?"

"Well I was out there, yes, but there was some one else firing shots. So I went out to look. I found you and two others, then another man and a group of dogs whom I kindly removed from the property."

"Did you find the Werewolves?" Axel asked worry and curiosity shinning in his acidic eyes.

"What? No there aren't any left here, all of them were killed off a good twenty years ago." Marluxias green eyes saddened a little, "Such a shame, they are so beautiful, such amazing creatures." His green eyes gained a lost and far away look.

"…" Axel's head hurt, everything was so confusing. From the search for the werewolf, to finding the werewolves to the screaming, now this man who speaks like he knew everything, but only gave him crumb sized clues to a single puzzle piece. Cradling his head in his hands he groaned, "Oh God, this is so confusing. Professor Vexen, can I leave now?"

"Yes, go now; but do not return to the forest." Vexen glared at him as he stood, albeit shakily and stumbled from the room his backpack slung over one shoulder slamming the door behind him; missing the canine grin that spread across Marluxias face.

"So what did he want?"

"Eh I dunno, just said some confusing stuff had this pink haired dude, Marlboro or some thing, come over and stuff. He was so affectionate to Vexen rubbing faces and stuff."

Zexion sighed, the information Axel gave him making no sense, and buried his face in another endless book; the only difference between this one and the previous one was that this one had a blue cover.

"Well this is Vexen, so it was probably just that lab assistant he was talking about. Marluxia." Riku said before shoving some unidentifiable food into his mouth, must have been potatoes at one point.

Groaning Axel folded his arms on the table, pushing the tray of unknown foods away, and burying his face in his arms.

"You know what Ax?" Riku asked boredly, poking his 'food' with a fork.

"Mmph."

"You groan a lot," Stabbing through the 'green beans' he stuffed it in his mouth and chewed, "Dear god is this even food?"

"No" both Axel and Zexion spoke at the same time.

"Why was I eating that anyway," pushing the tray away from himself, Riku stared boredly at the wall. Axel was staring at the same wall, but some thing had caught his eye.

"Hey guys?" they both made indignant sounds of acknowledgement, "What is that?" he gestured towards the posters on the wall.

"Oh that's the notice they posted this morning."

"Really?"  
>"Yes, apparently it was important enough for you to notice."<br>"What's it about?"  
>"Just about the werewolves they tracked into the forest, they need petitioners to get the owner of he property to let them into the forest to follow them. 'They' being the hunters and their followers."<br>"Huh."

Riku turned to face him, a tired exasperated look on his usually blank poker face, "Oh no. I know just too well what that means. Don't even think about it!"  
>Axel chuckled nervously, "Whaa? No, me? Pssh why would I of all people be scheming some kind of plot to persuade Marluxia to let me onto his forested property to find the werewolves and talk to them. 'Cause you remember that one of them was shot in the leg, and besides the two that left the tree were really cute. But why do you think I had some kind of idea to rope you two into this. It was my plan after all."<p>

"… and here I thought you were saying you didn't have an idea."


	3. Ideas

_The Hunt_

_By FadedNobody_

_Property Of Square Enix_

Here he was four hours later, staring in mild amusement as Axel blathered on about some irrelevant life dream of his. On his knees, in front of Marluxia. It's usually what he does when he tries to distract someone from the previous topic of discussion and get them to warm up to him. Earlier he'd been trying to slip onto the subject and 'offhandedly' ask for access to the forest.

That hadn't worked too well.

"Please?"

"No"

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"Oh okay fine."

"Really?"

"NO!"

Heh, if anything it was quite amusing just watching him go from extremely demanding, to that rambling thing he always did when he got too frustrated or nervous, then to his attemps to trick Marluxia into allowing him into the forest. And now his current mode of action, begging, his 'puppy face' -which had phased the pinkette for a negative minute and was the current source of that knee shaped bruise on the red heads chin- and his god-awful whining!

" Please! Just for a little bit! I know that one of them was wounded; I just want to see if it's okay! It had two younger werewolves with it! I just want to see if I can help!"Axel whined, his voice grating on everyones nerves. Marluxias eye began to twitch as he stood back facing the begging man on his door step. Another puppy like whimper escaped him throat as he awaited another hit. Knowing he had pushed too far once again as the man stiffened at the odd noise. A noise that shouldn't have come from a human.

"Why do you care so much?" Marluxia whirled around snarling, eyes bright, "aren't you like all the others who just want to find us, kill us, stuff us and hold us up like a trophy you murdered for?" his jaw hung open slightly showing that single row of pearly white sharp teeth which the was simply begging to dig into the mans throat.

"What?"

axel leaned away from the rather terrifying sight. The words confusing him yet somehow making sense, like when the Teachers at school were talking and you almost understood them before they changed topics.

Marluxia seemed to have realized what he had said and stood there slack jawed at the words he'd not been meant to say.

"Axel."

Said red head turned to

"Return later, he might have calmed down then. But I can assure you that the three werewolves are just fine."

Heaving a sigh Axel slumped down the front steps of Marluxia and Vexens 'house' more like a mansion. He sat down on the steps and stared off into the forest.

"Do you think they're okay?"

"Eh, from what I've read, silver bullets if they don't kill their target, they cause mild trauma and a terrible sickness that starts from the wound and spreads until it hits their heart and kills them." Zexion rattled off.

"It usually starts with a deadly fever, in the case of werewolves, then it spreads to extreme bulimacy, meaning they vomit up every thing they eat whether they are thinking about it or not. Then it evolves to and extreme dehydration and starvation where they can't drink or eat anything. And by then, Depending on the size and age of the werewolf, the sickness spreads to the animals heart and effectively stops it. This procedure takes about two to five days to fully kill any werewolf."

"I really didn't need to know all of that." Axel groaned, "I hope they're okay. Ignoring all of the stuff you've just said."

Zexion smirked, "Yes, and while you mull all of that over I shall go inside and speak with the protector of this forest."

Axel simply stared up at the slate haired emo and let his eyes tiredly follow his figure back up to the door, stunned further into silence when they let him inside, before the door swung shut, leaving him all by his lonesome outside on the steps.

Sighing he turned back to face the forest, an idea began brewing in his mind. Sitting there grinning like a fool, the poor old lady who lived across the street stared at him oddly be fore hobbling back into the safety of her home, quickly shutting all of her windows and blinds and pulling her three tabby cats hurriedly into her house.

Glancing back at the door he darted away, off into the forest; without a clue as to where he was going.

Seconds after he had entered the bush, Marluxia had opened the door, backed by Vexen and nudging Zexion out of the house and door way.

"Now Axel I-" he stared down at the spot where Axel should have been sitting, moping and emoing about not being let into the forest. His light green eyes followed the cement walk way up to the streets then caught the shoeprints crossing his vast lawn and heading into the forest.

"I am going to KILL YOU AXEL!" he snarled the last three words and took off into the forest after the idiotic red head, determined to sever his neck from shoulders.


End file.
